The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-05-12
Our Evening Sermon! !
''And the Lord said unto him, Who
hath made mans mouth ?"-Ex. Ali.

. u. r l.
When Moses complained to the
Lord of, a lack Of eloquence, it was
possibly with feeling of distrust of
his own feeble powers as an individ-
ual, realization Of a want of suffi-
cient eloquence to create either re-
spect for himself or taste for the
things which work for the good of
the people. Yet the question asked
by the Lord had the reassuring char
acter which was calculated to lift the
load of dependency from the falter-
ing heart. In the sense in which the
question was here asked, the inference
might reasonably be that some higher
power would furnish the necessary
force and eloquence to make the work
of the great leader progressive and
effective. But the question, like all
others, has different bearings, and is
capable of different constructions.
What man among US, who, in his
everyday intercourse with his fellow
man, has not wondered at the wisdom
of. the power that created mans
mouth? Of some mems mouths, it
may be truthfully said, "they are fear
fully and wonderfully made" Their
actions and the results thereof are as
incomprehensible as anything under
the sun. With a natural inference
lingering in the mind from the earli-
est teachings, that the lips were made
to speak kind words and glorify the
power that made them, one is often
thrown into the greatest surprise at
the manner in which the true mission
of the mouth is perverted and the di-
vine plan is frustrated. The mouth
answers the double purpose Of being
the receptacle Of that which gives
health and strength to The body, and
the gateway through which passes out
that which shows the condition of the
mind. With these two purposes full
filled and all other things thrown
aside, the human mouth mi ght serve
a great purpose, and carry forward
noble aim. Yet how sadly the mouth
falls short of the glory!
Imagine clean, pure mouth, made
by divine wisdom and love, and given
great possibilities for good, being con-
verted into filthy basin of blasphe-
my and moral rottenness. Imagine
a mouth intended for the speaking Of
words of wisdom, and the teaching of
the young. being filled with whisky
and made horrible by beer. Imagine
a mouth made to speak the words of
truth and soberness, converted into a
hot-bed of lying and general wick
edness. A mere contemplation of the
awful extent of these strange perver-
sions, is enough to lead one to realize
in its fullest extent the divine mercy
which permits man to exist, after all
this wickedness.
Even the mouth Of the man by the
world called wise, is fearfully abused.
So common has the fellowship of Sa-
tan become, in this world, that many
naturally wise men get the idea that
it is part Of the process and work of
wisdom to defile the mouth, and en-
danger the health of the brain, caus-
ing words of wisdom to flow through
pestilential gate. 1t is generally be-
lieved that mans mouth is moved
from the inside; that the emotion or
thought that moves the lips springs
upon the inside of the man. But we
must make an exception:
The fools mouth is moved by out
side forces. It is set, as it were, upon
hair trigger, and ''goes off" at the
least touch. The mere passing of
gentleman along the street will touch
off the FOOLS mouth, and set all its
machinery in motion for an hour.
The least passing breeze will touch off
the fools mouth, and keep up tre-
mendous racket, as when the COVER
nor-belt of steam engine jumps the
pulley, and permits the thing to run
away. There is no accounting for the
wonderful mechanism Of the FOOLS
mouth. 1t finds it's most active en-
ployment upon the streets and in pub
lie places, occupying the time which
could be better employed, by scandal
izing friends and neighbors, and turn
ing over the whole social system by
the eternal flow Of wind. We are
taught that there is nothing made in
Still we must confess that it is very
difficult problem to demonstrate what
fools mouth is made for. The best the
that we can do is to accept the idea
that wisdom lies at the bottom Of all
such questions.
What great amount of good may
be accomplished by one moath, if used
rightly! The divine plan, in creating
man was doubtless to people the earth
with creatures who should carry for
ward a great work of growth and
righteousness. Wonderful possibili-
ties have been given to mankind. The
estate of man, the true estate, is but
"a little lower than the angels" With
careful regard for the rights of his
fellows, a manly disposition to carry
out the beauties Of the Golden. Rule,
Jealous striving to glorify the Crea-
tor, the mouth of man becomes as a